New York Giants: Is Eli Manning’s next stop the Hall of Fame?

No, Eli Manning is not a Hall of Famer

It was no exaggeration saying that Eli Manning’s career was a mixed bag. Just like one could argue that he should be a Hall of Famer, one could argue that he shouldn’t be. Manning was the epitome of average when it comes to his career record.

He has a career regular-season record of 117-117, which isn’t something that helps his Hall of Fame case. Those 117 losses are the second-most by a quarterback in league history, only trailing Vinny Testaverde.

Manning reached the playoffs only six times in his career. That itself is something that puts a crack in his Hall of Fame case. Of those six playoff appearances, he was one and done four times with the other two being his Super Bowl seasons.

In the four times he was eliminated, Manning had a combined three touchdowns, seven interceptions and averaged 185.5 yards per game. So it is bad that Manning made the playoffs six out of his 16 seasons, but it’s even worse that he played relatively awful in four of those playoff trips.

There is also the argument that Manning constantly turned the ball over to the other team. Manning had a gunslinger mentality. That mentality was beneficial at times but also detrimental at others. He threw 244 career interceptions and lost 56 fumbles, which adds up to a grand total of 300 turnovers in his career. Manning wasn’t the best at taking care of the pigskin and that often frustrated Giants fans.

He was never above average when it comes to accuracy either, having a 60.3 career completion percentage. The interceptions are what hurts the most, as Manning had eight seasons where he threw at least 15 interceptions and three seasons where he threw at least 20 interceptions.

Manning was a quarterback who never elevated the teammates around him. He needed to have the right pieces around him in order to succeed and many Hall of Fame quarterbacks made everyone around them better. He was never considered a top-10 quarterback in the league throughout his career and was often thought of as simply average. It could be argued that Manning excelled when it mattered most, but he wasn’t a player who constantly excelled in his career.

So the turnovers, the lack of consistent excellence, the literally average regular-season record and making the playoffs six out of 16 seasons (where he played awful in four one-and-done performances) are legitimate arguments why Manning isn’t worthy of being in the Hall of Fame.

Manning is the poster boy for being average and the Hall of Fame is not for average players. It is for players who have been above average (even excellent) during their time in the league. Outside of those two magical playoff runs, Manning hasn’t been above average and has even struggled to be average at times.

The New York Giants would not be where they are today without Eli Manning. He brought them championships, stability and leadership like no other quarterback has for their franchise (minus Tom Brady, who Manning beat twice in the Super Bowl). Manning was the consummate pro, and he has had a memorable NFL career. He will be celebrated by the Giants and their fans. It is very likely that he will have his place in their ring of honor in the near future.

Will Manning’s magical playoff runs be enough for voters to put him in the Hall of Fame though? Do those moments in time along with his availability, leadership and top-10 stats overshadow what has been pretty much an average career?

The decision will be a tough one and the voters will have to think long and hard about this. Will he get the nod for the Hall in his first year of eligibility? Doubtful, but his resume and legacy might be just enough for him to be enshrined and get his own bust in Canton. It is just a matter of wait and see at this point.